I am bringing back the BA access through paid Qantas club membership debate.

[Batesy]

I feel this is worthy of a re-visit. To summarize.

• Previously if you had paid Qantas club membership you could access any BA lounge in the world if flying BA or Qantas.
• Now you can't, apart from some exceptions such as connections into LHR from OZ flights or LHR T3 to Asia coming back to OZ.
• The Qantas lounge access page still has this comment on it. "Qantas Club Members travelling between Australia and the UK via Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong on Qantas or British Airways services, or travelling on other British Airways flights connecting with these services, can access the British Airways Terrace, Executive and Galleries Lounges. Access to the British Airways Lounge in New York is also available for Qantas Club Members travelling on the QF108. We are currently working with British Airways on the recent changes to their lounge access policy".
• If you are a paid QC member travelling on a domestic or intra- Europe flight that is not a connection you no longer get access that you once did. This means that the paid QC product is now less valuable than it once was, but the price has not changed.
• Qantas has had plenty of time to sort this out with BA but has failed to do so. Red Roo once told us it was resolved but it ended up being the exceptions highlighted above.
• This is still not resolved and I would think that paid QC members who don't have BA access via Oneworld status would like to see a final resolution from Qantas on this.
• Thoughts from our collective minds????

 

[eastwest101]

I agree - this has been bugging me as well - even though it dosen't directly affect me in the near future. Let me know by PM if there is anything I can do to assist as I am a paid QC member at the moment.

I guess for the other AFF members here - it may have slipped their minds or maybe they have just accepted this "enhancement" as just another devaluation of their paid/earned QC status.

Even just as a sign of closure it would be nice of QF to admit that this has been badly handled by both QF and BA and that it is a negative enchancement.

 

[boylero]

thumbs down for BA also, it takes two to tango

 

[atreides]

From what I gather from all this is that the problem lies more with BA than QF

 

[boylero]

From what I gather from all this is that the problem lies more with BA than QF

I am biased as I had a bad experience on my honeymoon with BA battleaxes, but I wouldnt be at all suprised

 

[Batesy]

Red Roo, any input on this one??

 

[Pleb Status]

I guess for the other AFF members here - it may have slipped their minds or maybe they have just accepted this "enhancement" as just another devaluation of their paid/earned QC status.

This issue does not effect those who have 'earned' QP access as they would be OWS/OWE. This is only a paid access issue.

 

[Deleted member 33742]

thumbs down for BA also, it takes two to tango

Or if you are a BA frequent flyer thumbs up. BA do not offer a paid membership with their own scheme so you have to be a genuine frequent flyer to access the lounges so no reason they should allow another programs members paid access.

Its all relative I imagine the BA members are very happy with this result.

Not saying this isn't frustrating for those involved but I do not think you can make any judgement for BA most likely looking after their own members interests.

I imagine domestically at times there are SG members who would be very happy if paid QC wasn't offered would make the lounge more enjoyable in peak times.

 

[jojen]

Mr jojen & I arrived from SIN enroute to BRU last week. Transit through Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 was quick and easy with no delays.
Arrived at Galleries lounge and were initally denied access !!!!! Boarding pass issued in SIN for onward QF flight to BRU did not show QC membership. Produced QC card and boarding pass for SIN - LHR flight.
Lounge angel sitting next to dragon who had denied us access explained QC access rules , and we were granted accesss !!!!

Lounge agents changed several times during our visit and clearly some do not understand the access rules.
Surely it is time that this changed.

Lounge was very busy at times and is showing some signs of wear, chairs need steam cleaning.

However, we did enjoy our visit, being able to have a shower after a long flight in 80k & 80j. Also enjoyed a glass of champagne and a bacon roll !!!!

jojen

 

[Deleted member]

I recall much he same issue a few years ago. As a Life Member of QP (at the time I had no status) I thought it was a bit rough. As I will be WP next year when we fly to and from LHR I am assuming we will be happy to cruise through and enjoy the moment. But it must be a bit rough for BA pax coming the other way

 

[medhead]

Or if you are a BA frequent flyer thumbs up. BA do not offer a paid membership with their own scheme so you have to be a genuine frequent flyer to access the lounges so no reason they should allow another programs members paid access.

Its all relative I imagine the BA members are very happy with this result.

Not saying this isn't frustrating for those involved but I do not think you can make any judgement for BA most likely looking after their own members interests.

I imagine domestically at times there are SG members who would be very happy if paid QC wasn't offered would make the lounge more enjoyable in peak times.

Frankly what BA offers is irrelevant. BA made an agreement with QF to grant access to QF customers. They have now got around that agreement in an underhanded way.

As for SG domestically. Before they get too happy they might like to remember that QC access was initially only available for paid members. So one can easily argue that there would be no QC without paid members making them viable in the first place.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Deleted member 33742]

Frankly what BA offers is irrelevant. BA made an agreement with QF to grant access to QF customers. They have now got around that agreement in an underhanded way.

Sent from the Throne

Not sure it's entirely irrelevant, it may help to explain some of the motive.
If this was a result of -and I'm not saying it is - complaints/suggestions from BA members then I think good on them. I think most peole would expect an organisation to put the needs of their loyal members above those of anyone else.
After all they owe no loyalty to QP members and why should they.

Underhanded or forward thinking hard to really know without being privy to the agreement or privy to BA's motives.
But their first priority should be to their own members not Qantas. Looking after Qantas members is Qantas responsibility. Plenty of other lounges in Europe that might be open to an arrangement.

 

[serfty]

<snip>

Haven't you heard of the JSA?



Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[medhead]

Not sure it's entirely irrelevant, it may help to explain some of the motive.
If this was a result of -and I'm not saying it is - complaints/suggestions from BA members then I think good on them. I think most peole would expect an organisation to put the needs of their loyal members above those of anyone else.
After all they owe no loyalty to QP members and why should they.

Underhanded or forward thinking hard to really know without being privy to the agreement or privy to BA's motives.
But their first priority should be to their own members not Qantas. Looking after Qantas members is Qantas responsibility. Plenty of other lounges in Europe that might be open to an arrangement.

I didn't say entirely irrelevant. If BA were not being underhanded they would have come out and openly asked to change the agreement. They didn't. Instead they removed access by changing the name of all the lounges. As for their first priority, the point remains that they entered an agreement to provide lounge access.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Danger]

I'd like my aim to a call for updated information from Qantas.

"We are currently working . . ." has been the situation for too long without any additional detail. The next thing we'll know someone will have inadvertently stumbled across the page only to find the text has conveniently disappeared and we're all none the wiser.

 

[moa999]

Given no-one here has seen the agreement between BA and QF, we cant tell who is to blame here.
It could have specifcally mentioned Terraces, it could have been a year by year agreement and BA decided to change the terms, or upped the per pax charge and QF didnt want to pay.

As I have previously said, like all the FF programs, the T&Cs are subject to change, much like there is no longer a Gold Coast lounge, but replaced in other areas... BA access has mostly gone... accept it and move on... It is a Qantas Club membership - emphasis being on the Qantas, the additional privelages at AA and BA were always more likely to disappear.

 

[Kangol]

I didn't say entirely irrelevant. If BA were not being underhanded they would have come out and openly asked to change the agreement. They didn't. Instead they removed access by changing the name of all the lounges. As for their first priority, the point remains that they entered an agreement to provide lounge access.

Sent from the Throne

I thought the name change reflected the type of offering that the lounge provided? ie one was a "higher" level with nicer food and drink, etc...
Which was kinda along the lines of BA now offering their "better" lounge instead of their "lower" one.
I guess kinda similar to if QF started calling their existing QPs "business lounges" and changing them accordingly, so only J pax/WP/OWE can have access.
Just a thought, could be wrong here.

 

[markis10]

Frankly what BA offers is irrelevant. BA made an agreement with QF to grant access to QF customers. They have now got around that agreement in an underhanded way.

Bit surprised that such a claim can be made unless you have seen the contract in terms of dating and what was actually agreed?

 

[serfty]

Since I referred to the JSA earlier I have been thinking about it.

Given the revised admission rules (as indicated in post #1) I would suggest the JSA is likely to have indeed been used as leverage by QF to regain some level of Lounge access for it's QP members.

Compare that with the rules for QFF point earning on BA flights:

British Airways (BA)

Status Credits are earned on all eligible booking classes. * Travel in Discount Economy in the Eligible Booking Classes that is not between these city pairs will earn a Base Rate of 0.25: - Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney and London or Frankfurt via Bangkok or Singapore, - Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney and Bangkok or Singapore, and - London or Frankfurt and Bangkok or Singapore. ^ Travel in Discount Economy in the Eligible Booking Classes between these city pairs will earn a Base Rate of 1: - Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney and London or Frankfurt via Bangkok or Singapore, - Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney and Bangkok or Singapore, and - London or Frankfurt and Bangkok or Singapore.

 

[eastwest101]

Bit surprised that such a claim can be made unless you have seen the contract in terms of dating and what was actually agreed?

Not sure if you need to see the contract before making those claims. We can all see the results for ourselves (done to death on original thread)

Fact: Paid QC members pay QF for membership with certain access granted
Fact: Access is denied
Assumed: Buck passing between QF and BA about whom has to fix/renegotiate this
Fact: QF rep on here said all fixed
Fact: People still being denied access
Fact: Paid QC members pay their membership to QF, I don't care if QF has to deal with BA or The Wiggles for all I care - I paid my QC fees to Qantas
Fact: Its up to Qantas to communicate any changes or variations to access to their members
Fact: It shouldn't be up to an AFF Member to do private detective work in LHR airport to gain info about their own paid membership.


Of course I understand that BA have made this very difficult for QF to resolve. You only need to look at their motives and underhanded way of renaming lounges to see that.

And I support medheads comments, I am sure that not too many QFF Gold and Plat status members would be happy about the way this has been handled. And the few that may smugly think "Oh good thats less crowding in the lounges" will have a nasty surprise themselves in the future when their status and access rights are under threat because QF and BA cannot get their s#%* together and operate like mature airline partners.